The North America
Frames from the North America.
(Photo: David Whall/Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary)
Three ships were reported lost on Delta Shoals one mile east of
Sombrero Light in the 19th century. One shipwreck that is situated
immediately north of the shoal on a sand and grass flat in 14 feet
of water may be the North America.
Admiralty Court Records show that a three-masted, square-rigged
vessel by the name of North America, carrying dry goods and
furniture, was lost November 25, 1842 on Delta Shoals while enroute
from New York to Mobile, Alabama. Local wreckers provided assistance
to Captain Hall and his crew during a three-day salvage effort. Four
ships were registered by the name of North America during
this period, however the size of the remaining wreckage and Captain
Hall's name in the court records suggest it may be the
North America built in Bath, Maine in 1833. James B. Hall
of New York and George S. Hall of Bath, Maine were part owners of
the North America based in New York. This ship-rigged
vessel had two decks, three masts, was 130 feet long, and had a beam
of 29 feet.
The vessel remains consist of a large section of a wood hull filled
with ballast. The wreckage measures approximately 112 feet long and
35 feet wide. Only small sections of the lower hull protrude above
the sandy bottom and the majority of the structural remains are
covered with ballast. The southwest extremity of the site consists
of the keel and several iron drift bolts that attached the keel and
keelson to the floor timbers. The majority of the remaining hull is
mostly covered by sand and only small sections of the keel can be
found exposed. The ballast pile is oval shaped and appears to be
largely contained within the surviving hull structure. The
longitudinal axis of the ballast pile is southwest to northeast and
extends for 85 feet. Beyond the ballast the remainder of the hull
structure is covered by sand and turtle grass. The ceiling and
planking are primarily attached by wooden trunnels (treenails). A
few 3/4
square copper spikes can be seen where they held the planks in
position during construction before the trunnels were installed.
Cement can be found between several of the frames where it was
probably used as a temporary patch material. The remains of two
barrels containing cement can be found within the confines of the
ballast scatter, one near the north end and one at mid-section.